A gardener who raped two girls has been jailed for 16 years.
John Gosling’s “appalling abuse” of the two girls included raping them as well as other sexual abuse.
Gosling, from Three Bridges, was convicted of 11 offences at Lewes Crown Court on September 14.
The offences, which dated in the late 2000s and late 2010s, included raping a girl under the age of 13 and raping a girl between the ages of 13 and 15.
The court was told how the victims, who are not known to each other, came forward and disclosed the sexual abuse they had been subjected to.
Gosling was told he will have to serve a minimum of ten and a half years before he can be considered for parole.
A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed, which restricts his access to children, and he will be a registered sex offender for life.
His 11 convictions included assaulting a girl under the age of 13 by penetration, two counts of assaulting a girl aged 13 to 15 by penetration, and charges of attempting to engage girls aged 13 to 15 in both penetrative and non-penetrative sexual activity.
Detective Constable Angela Harvey from the Brighton Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: “Gosling committed appalling abuse which has had a lasting impact on the lives of the two girls involved.
“I would like to praise them for the courage they showed to come forward and report their experiences to the police.
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“Victims can come forward at any time, and we understand that there can sometimes be reasons why victims do not come forward at the time offences occur.
“Regardless of this, we take all reports of rape and serious sexual assault seriously, and we are determined to get justice for victims.
“The sentence in this case shows the serious criminality of Gosling, so we are pleased that a dangerous offender is now in prison serving a lengthy term.
“Information about how we investigate reports of sexual offences is available on the Sussex Police website here.
“Advice for victims including where to find help and support is also available on our website here.”
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